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Ute Junker

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Sensei Lanai

This data-driven wellness retreat is a haven for high-flyers

Sensei Lanai is an island resort with an evidence-based approach to wellness that perfectly suits the Silicon Valley set.

January

Hiking the Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan

Epic new walking holidays for your bucket list

As the popularity of hiking grows, countries from Jordan to Sweden and Albania are launching trails to lure travellers who’ve already ticked off Spain’s Camino.

Heyscape cabins, in Denmark Western  Australia

Sign up, check in, chill out: What not to miss in Australia in 2025

From a hot spring trail in outback Queensland to duelling pianos in Darwin and a clutch of cool hotel debuts, here’s what’s happening on the home front.

December 2024

Palau_Four Seasons Explorer

6 luxury escapes including the best island holiday no one has heard of

From weekend escapes to gold-standard international adventures, travel is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

We check into the next White Lotus resort

The third series of the streaming hit is set in the exclusive Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui. Here’s what it’s like.

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November 2024

xxYearBali cover story a year in bali indonesia ; text by Penny Watson
(handout image supplied via journalist for use in Traveller, no credit, no syndication)
Breakout: Banyan Tree Escape in Buahan

No walls, no doors – is this the future of luxury travel?

The first property launched under a new brand from Banyan Tree takes its history of boundary pushing further by doing more with way less in the Balinese jungle.

Why Mick Jagger and Yves Saint Laurent loved this Marrakech hotel

This hidden boutique hotel where the rooms are dedicated to cultural icons doubles as an art gallery with a $10m collection.

Can’t stand the tourist hordes? Book a ‘coolcation’

Savvy travellers are visiting holiday hotspots in Europe beyond summer or heading to Canada or Norway for a cooler experience.

June 2024

The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are located in the United States, along the coast of northern California.

Why we should embrace tall-tree tourism

Only 34 per cent of the world’s surviving forests are old-growth ones, and many are under threat. If California’s Redwood National Park is anything to go by, there is hope, however.

April 2024

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. The gardens are a big draw, as well as the hotel and restaurant.

At this luxe Belmond hotel in Oxfordshire, food is the real star

Four decades on, Raymond Blanc has more planned for his exclusive Michelin-starred gourmet retreat, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

September 2023

Collar of Princess Neferuptah. The Egyptians called this form of collar the wesekh, meaning broad. Six rows of beads terminate with the head of a golden falcon at each end; these were used as fasteners. Two smaller chains of beads are attached to the falcons, leading to a counterpoise, which also bears the image of a falcon, with further horizontal rows of beads hanging from it. At the bottom of the collar, teardrop shaped pendants can be seen, connected to a row of small golden beads.

Why Egypt is on an antiquities discovery spree

Egypt’s government is investing heavily in archeological digs, so plenty of treasures are being unearthed, and they’re coming to Australia.

August 2023

Sandibe

The quick and the dead: a Botswana safari in the heart of the action

A wildlife adventure in Africa’s Okavango Delta combines all the action of an Attenborough documentary with a choice of bush-camp comforts.

A guest luxuriates in one of two swimming pools at Six Senses Ibiza.

How club-crazy Ibiza could help you live longer (yes, really)

Well away from the ravers and the club kids, this luxury resort has hyperbaric chamber sessions, red light therapy, cryo-facials and more on the menu.

May 2021

Paddy Field Villa at Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô.

Luxury hotels admit room for change as guests push for sustainability

Being seen as green is no longer enough. Now, it’s time for true sustainability – which is perhaps the ultimate luxury.

April 2021

Pan seared hiramasa king fish fillet with far northern Thai Yai (minority group in Northern Thailand) relish,cherry tomato pure

Thai fine diner gets NSW’s Southern Highlands buzzing

Michelin-starred chef Bongkoch “Bee” Satongun is making waves in Mittagong.

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Illustrations of the planned Ocean Discovery Centre off the West Australian coast at Busselton.

The ‘blue economy’ heats up with bold new marine architecture in WA

A new oceanic museum two kilometres offshore in Busselton, Western Australia, will set new standards for what is possible in marine engineering.

March 2021

Kalesma, a new luxury hotel on the island of Mykanos, has been conceived of as a Greek village.

Hotel design takes a turn towards tranquillity

Simplicity has become the byword, with neutral colours, natural fibres and an emphasis on local materials ensuring a soft landing for post-pandemic travellers.

November 2020

Escape to perfect solitude on King Island

A mix of isolation, immersion and community spirit makes the island's Kittawa Lodge the perfect destination for the times.

October 2020

Collins Flat Beach is hidden away between Manly Cove and North Head Beach.

A deep dive into Sydney’s best swim spots

In a city renowned for its love of water, a new guidebook celebrates both its famous and its most hidden swimming pools, beaches and gorges.

September 2020

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

Time to stop and smell the flowers

Many of Australia's spring flower festivals are adapting to the COVID-19 climate and finding ways to bring onlookers in safely.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/ute-junker-hve7a